maskelyne



(ModeL) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. J. N. MASKELYNE. Apparatus for Issuing and Registering Tickets. No. 236,053.

Patented Dec. 28,1880.

hi'bzesses RPETERS, PROTO-UTHOGRAFNER. WA HINGTON. D C.

(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. N. MASKELYNE.

Apparatus for Issuing'and Registering Tickets. No. 236,053. Patented Dec. 28,1880.

W "d1 mil 3 el'zeasses UNITED STATES PATENT Orrin JOHN N. MASKELYNE, OF THE EGYPTIAN HALL, PIOOADILLY, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR ISSUING AND REGISTERING TICKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,053, dated December 28, 1880.

Application filed July 26, 1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN NEvIL MAsKE- LYNE, of the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain improvements in apparatus for issuing tickets and for recording the number of tickets issued in public conveyances and at places of amusement, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to prevent fraud on the part of persons in charge of public conveyances or who are employed to take money at places of entertainment. This I effect by means of a simple and portable apparatus, from which tickets or tokens are to be issued, while at the same time the number of the tickets or tokens issued is registered.

The apparatus consists, preferably, of a metal tube of any suitable cross-section and length,

and in which the tickets or tokens are placed. This tube is closed at top by a fixed plate, against which the tickets or tokens are pressed by a coiled spring. The fixed plate is recessed to receive one ticket at a time, as well as a pusher-plate, by which the ticket is pushed out of the apparatus. The pusher-plate is connected with a lever, which is actuated by the person in charge. The actuating of the lever will work a registering apparatus, and

0 also cause a gong or other audible signal to sound.

In order that my invention may be more clearly understood, I will proceed to more fully describe it, reference being made to the accom- 3 5 panying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved apparatus for issuing tickets as arranged for a single fare or a single price of admission.

Fig. l is an inverted plan of the top of the apparatus and the pusher-plate working thereon. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views, showing the apparatus in two positions; and Fig. 5 shows, in eleva- 5 tion, an arrangement of apparatus forissuing tickets for two rates of fares.

The same letters of reference represent corresponding parts in all the figures.

A is a metal tube containing tickets or tokens B. The cross-section of this tube may be of any form to suit the ticket used. The top of this tube is closed by a fixed plate, 0, which is recessed on its under side (see Fig. 1 sufficiently deep to receive one ticket or token and a pusher-plate, D. This recess is extended to the front edge of the plate 0, to form an opening for the discharge of the uppermost of the pile of tickets contained in the tube. Although the opening for the discharge of the tickets or tokens is in this instance formed in the top plate, 0, it may be considered as in the side of the tube or receptacleA itself. The pusher-plate is maintained in position by a slotted guide-plate, O, which is secured by brazing or other convenient means to the under side of the fixed top plate, 0, and

to the tube A.

E is a vertical lever, which is pivoted at its lower end to a projection. F, at the back of the tube A. The free end of this lever passes through the slotted guide-plate G and enters a hole either in the pusher-plate D or .in a lump or projection formed on the under side thereof, so that on applying pressure to the lever at about the middle of its length the pusher-plate D will be driven forward and caused to push out a ticket or token from the tube. The return motion of the lever and the pusher-plate is effected by a flat spring, E, placed between the tube and the lever.

G is a coiled spring, which is placed inside the tube A, and serves to keep the pile of tickets or tokens placed in the tube in constant contact with the fixed top plate, 0.

G is a disk, of metal, of greater thickness than the tickets or tokens, and which is placed in the tube A, between the spring G and the pile of tickets B. This disk, which I prefer to secure in some suitable manner to the spring G, is intended to take the place of the 0 last ticket of the pile of tickets discharged from the tube, and as it will be too thick to pass out through the ticket-opening it will prevent the plate D from being pushed forward, and will thus stop the further working 5 of the apparatus.

The tube A is charged with tickets from its lower end, and it is then closed by a cap, A,

which is to be secured in place by a padlock or otherwise before the apparatus is sent out. This cap will also serve as an abutment for the coiled spring Gr.

Attached to the upper part of the tube A, and by the side of the lever E, is a closed box, H, which contains the registering and audible signal apparatus. The registering apparatus may be described as an ordinary counting apparatus with dials s geared together and representing units, tens, and hundreds. This counting apparatus is actuated by a spring-pawl, 0, carried by the lever E, which engages with a ratchet-wheel fastened to the unit-dial, and from the same lever projects a pin, f, which, at every thrust, trips the lever S, to which is attached the hammer f of the gong J. The portion of the box H in which the registering apparatus is placed is provided with a flap or cover, H, which may be secured, when closed, by sealing or in any other convenient manner. In. Fig. 1 the cover or fiap H is represented as sealed, a circular box, I,

"outside the cover or fiap, being provided to inclose the seal.

The fastening may consist of a staple, b, fixed to the flap inside the box I, and a slotted button, 0, secured to the box H. A slot, 01, is made in the flap to allow the button to pass through. When the flap has been closed down the button is turned into the position shown in Fig. 1, and a piece of tape, or its equivalent, is passed through the slot in the button and through the staple b, and the ends of the tape are secured by sealing-wax to form a seal, 0. To prevent the seal from becoming injured I provide a cap or cover for the box I.

For single-fare apparatus it is desirable to provide means to prevent the insertion of old or used tickets in the discharge-openin g with intent to defraud. The means which I employ to effect this object consists of a pair of jaws, g g, which are pivoted to the top plate, 0. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) The ticket, as it is pushed out (by pressing on the lever E) into the position shown at Fig. 4, thrusts open the jaws g, which hold it until it is taken by the passenger, each jaw being provided with a flat spring, 1;, to give the necessary pressure. The tendency of these springs is also to close thejaws g when the ticket is withdrawn, and the jaws are locked in the closed position by a pair of fingers, h h, with turned-in ends, and rigidly attached to the lever E. These fingers h h project forward on opposite sides of the tube A, and their ends are caused to bear against the movable jaws by the action of the spring E on the lever E. It will now be understood that it will be impossible to open the jaws g g (with a view of surreptitiously reinserting an issued ticket) without first pressing forward the lever E, and thereby actuating the registering apparatus and striking the gong.

In adapting my apparatus to the issuing of tickets representing two rates of fares I place two tubes, A, with their accessories, side by side. In order,however, to lighten the weight of the apparatus, I prefer to inclose the registering apparatus between the two levers E, as shown in 5. I also slightly modify the registering apparatus, the figures being engraved on the periphery of wings attached to the dial, instead of on the faces of the dial, for convenience of reading, the box containing the apparatus being open at the back instead of at the side, as in the single-fare apparatus.

The gong arrangement may consist either of two gon gs of different tones placed one over the other, as shown in the drawings, and struck consecutively, or of one gong struck twice for the higher fare. In either case, however, the mode of effecting the result will be self-evident, and needs no further description.

In this arrangement of apparatus the means for closing up the ticket-openin g may be dispensed with, as the person in charge will not know what fare the passenger is about to pay, andwill therefore be unable to insert an old ticket into the opening without instant detection.

By the use of my improved apparatus it will be quite unnecessary for the person in charge to touch the tickets, (and he should be prohibited from doing so,) as the passenger will take the ticket direct from the apparatus after it is pushed out, and thus a ready source of fraud will be removed.

The apparatus may also be provided with a chain or strap, by which it may be slungfrom the neck of the person in charge.

For theaters and other places of entertainment the apparatus may, if desired, be secured to atable or counter, and worked by an arrangement of levers actuated by the foot of 10 5 the money-taker; but as I lay no claim to any particular arrangement of levers, I do not consider further description necessary.

When there are more than two rates of fares I prefer to make the ticket-receptacle of wood, (for lightness,) divided up into the requisite number of compartments, each compartment being provided with its own discharge mechanism and registering and audible signal apparatus.

Having now described my invention, I wish it to be understood that I claim- 1. In an apparatus for issuing tickets or tokens, the combination of the tube or receptacle A, having an opening in one side, the spring-propeller G, the pusher-plate D, the lever E, pivoted at one end to said tube or receptacle and connected at the other end with said pusher-plate, a bell, and a projection, f, upon said lever for sounding said bell, all substantially as specified.

2. In an apparatus for issuing tickets or tokens, the combination of a tube or receptacle having a transverse opening for tickets or tokens in one side thereof, a spring-propeller arranged Within said tube or receptacle, a stantially as and for the purposes herein set to pusher-plate for ejecting tickets or tokens through said opening, and spring-jaws for closing said opening, adapted to be opened by the forward movement of said pusher-plate,snbstantially as specified.

3. The combination of a ticket-receptacle, A, top plate, 0, pusher-plate D, and lever E with the movable jaws g g and fingers h h, subforth.

Dated the 3d day of June, 1880.

J. N. MASKELYNE. Witnesses: 

